Nothing like a few pirates to liven up the holiday season. The Jolly Roger is now waving over the Milwaukee Public Museum for the new "Real Pirates" traveling exhibit. Read my Weekend Cue story to learn what pirate treasures await discovery at the exhibit. Feel free to practice your "arrrghs" as you read.

Middle-earth fans have been waiting for Peter Jackson's screen version of "The Hobbit" for years. Was the wait worth it? Is Gollum still nasty? Is the dragon a worthy wise-guy? See what Movie Critic Duane Dudek thinks in his review here. | Dec. 14, 2012»Read Full Blog Post

Alterra Coffee Roasters will beef up its downtown presence in midsummer when it takes over the space recently vacated by Third Ward Caffe. Because the storefront on E. St. Paul Ave. is smaller than Alterra's typical cafe, the coffee company is looking at atypical options for the space.

Alterra has 11 other cafes around the Milwaukee area, including one less than a half-mile away, across the Milwaukee River from the Third Ward. A twelfth is due to open in March in Madison, Alterra's first cafe outside the metro area; the thirteenth is due in summer also, at N. 68th and W. Wells streets in Wauwatosa. | Jan. 21, 2013»Read Full Blog Post

WTMJ-AM (620) afternoon news anchor Dan O'Donnell sent out a letter Monday announcing he would be moving to WISN-AM (1130), where he will anchor newscasts and provide commentary. The letter is below. Below that is his WTMJ-AM biography.

Chicago - Christmas Eve morning, 2004. Outside a blandly rich home in California's Palm Springs, a friendly game of mixed doubles has just ended. Siblings Brooke and Trip Wyeth have come home for the holidays, and aging parents Polly and Lyman are thrilled to have them.

The Charles Walker Band has had a couple of bad breaks lately. It's November release show at Marcus Center for last year's "Relentless" was canceled at the last minute, and then the rescheduled gig at G-Daddy's BBC Jan. 12 had to contend with a Packers playoff game night.

A pair of Milwaukee shows this week--a Shank Hall performance Monday with Gabriel Kahane and Aoife O’Donovan, and the State Ballet Theater of Russia’s production of “Cinderella” at the Pabst Theater Thursday--have been canceled, according to statements from the venues.